Slovenian Social Democratic Party
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The Slovenian Democratic Party (, SDS), formerly the Social Democratic Party of Slovenia (, SDSS), is a
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
parliamentary party; it is also one of the largest parties in Slovenia, with approximately 30,000 reported members in 2013. It has been described as
nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...
and
Right-wing Right-wing politics is the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position based on natural law, economics, authority, property ...
, encompassing both
national National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...
and
social conservatism Social conservatism is a political philosophy and a variety of conservatism which places emphasis on Tradition#In political and religious discourse, traditional social structures over Cultural pluralism, social pluralism. Social conservatives ...
. Led by former
Prime Minister of Slovenia The prime minister of Slovenia, officially the president of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia (), is the Head of government, head of the Government of Slovenia, Government of the Slovenia, Republic of Slovenia. There have been nine offi ...
Janez Janša Ivan Janša (; born 17 September 1958), better known as Janez Janša (), is a Slovenian politician who served three times as a prime minister of Slovenia, a position he had held from 2004 to 2008, from 2012 to 2013, and from 2020 to 2022. Since ...
, the SDS is a member of the
European People's Party The European People's Party (EPP) is a European political party with Christian democracy, Christian democratic, liberal conservatism, liberal-conservative, and conservative member parties. A transnational organisation, it is composed of other p ...
,
Centrist Democrat International The Centrist Democrat International (CDI; , IDC) is a political international inspired by the values of Christian democracy. Until 2001, it was known as the Christian Democrat International (CDI); before 1999, it was known as the Christian Demo ...
and
International Democracy Union The International Democracy Union (IDU; known as the International Democrat Union until September 2023) is an international alliance of centre-right to right-wing political parties. Headquartered in Munich, Germany, the IDU consists of 84 fu ...
. SDS has its origins in the Slovenian anti-Communist pro-democracy dissident labour union movement of the late 1980s. The Social Democratic Union of Slovenia (later renamed Social Democratic Party and, in 2003, Slovenian Democratic Party) was first headed by trade unionist France Tomšič, then by the prominent Slovenian pro-independence and pro-democracy dissident
Jože Pučnik Jože Pučnik (9 March 1932 – 11 January 2003) was a Slovenian public intellectual, sociologist and politician. During the communist regime of Josip Broz Tito, he was one of the most outspoken Slovenian critics of dictatorship and lack of civil ...
, who resigned in 1993. The party was part of the Democratic Opposition of Slovenia (DEMOS) coalition. The party's early ideological orientation was
liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...
,
social democratic Social democracy is a Social philosophy, social, Economic ideology, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achi ...
, and civic nationalist, reflecting a broad and somewhat fragmented coalition. In the 1992 parliamentary elections, SDS barely passed the parliamentary threshold, joining a
Liberal Democracy of Slovenia Liberal Democracy of Slovenia (, LDS) is a social-liberal political party in Slovenia. Between 1992 and 2004, it (and its main predecessor, the Liberal Democratic Party) was the largest (and ruling) party in the country. In the 2011 Slovenian pa ...
-led coalition government. In 1993,
Janez Janša Ivan Janša (; born 17 September 1958), better known as Janez Janša (), is a Slovenian politician who served three times as a prime minister of Slovenia, a position he had held from 2004 to 2008, from 2012 to 2013, and from 2020 to 2022. Since ...
, another prominent pro-democracy dissident turned politician, became party leader (a post he has held continuously since); Janša also served as Minister of Defense between 1990 and 1994. In 1994, Janša was ousted from his ministerial post due to his involvement in the Depala Vas affair; SDS consequently left the coalition government. SDS largely remained in opposition for the following 10 years, gaining in popularity and shifting its ideological outlook rightwards in the meanwhile. In 1995, SDS absorbed the conservative National Democratic Party, a former DEMOS coalition partner. In 2004, SDS placed first in that year's
parliamentary elections A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. General elections ...
, forming a centre-right governing coalition with Janša as PM. The government oversaw the country's entry into the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
and
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
, and a period of rapid economic growth. The government faced allegations of curtailing media freedom. In the 2008 parliamentary elections, SDS was surpassed by the
Social Democrats Social democracy is a social, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achieving social equality. In modern practice, s ...
. SDS placed second in the 2011 parliamentary elections but managed to secure support for a SDS-led coalition government, forming the second Janša Cabinet. The government took office in the midst of the
European debt crisis The euro area crisis, often also referred to as the eurozone crisis, European debt crisis, or European sovereign debt crisis, was a multi-year debt crisis and financial crisis in the European Union (EU) from 2009 until, in Greece, 2018. The e ...
, instituting widely disliked
austerity In economic policy, austerity is a set of Political economy, political-economic policies that aim to reduce government budget deficits through Government spending, spending cuts, tax increases, or a combination of both. There are three prim ...
reforms which helped spark a series of massive anti-government protests. Opposition to the government was further fueled by corruption allegations against Janša, including his alleged involvement in the
Patria affair The Patria case was a political controversy surrounding claims by prosecutors in Slovenia and Austria alleging bribery of Slovenian officials by the Finland, Finnish company Patria (company), Patria to help secure an armoured personnel carrier o ...
as well as a 2013 KPK report which found that Janša had violated corruption prevention measures. The SDS-led government collapsed in early 2013 after losing support of coalition partners. At the time of the 2014 parliamentary elections, SDS leader Janša was serving a prison sentence for a bribery conviction (which was later overturned by the supreme court and subsequently expired upon re-trial); SDS placed second. SDS won a plurality of votes in the 2018 election, however, most of the other parliamentary parties made pre-election pledges not to join a coalition government with SDS. After the centre-left coalition collapsed in early 2020, two of the parties that had seen a change of leadership since the election reneged on their pre-election pledge, clearing the path for the third Janša Cabinet. The new SDS-led government took office during the early days of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. In recent years, Janša has been described as an
illiberal Historically, the adjective illiberal has been mostly applied to personal attitudes, behaviors and practices “unworthy of a free man”, such as lack of generosity, lack of sophisticated culture, intolerance, narrow-mindedness, meanness. Lord Ches ...
leader.


History


Origins

The Slovenian Democratic Party developed from the merger of two distinct political parties, being the legal successor of both of the Social Democratic Union of Slovenia and the
Slovenian Democratic Union The Slovenian Democratic Union (, acronym SDZ) was a Slovene liberal political party, active between 1989 and 1991, during the democratization and the secession of the Republic of Slovenia from Yugoslavia. History The party was founded on 11 ...
, member parties of the Democratic Opposition of Slovenia (DEMOS) which defeated the
Communist Party of Slovenia The League of Communists of Slovenia (, ZKS; ) was the Slovenian branch of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, the sole legal party of Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1990. It was established in April 1937 as the Communist Party of Slovenia and was ...
-derived parties in the first democratic Slovenian election in 1990. The Social Democratic Union of Slovenia had emerged from an independent,
anti-Communist Anti-communism is political and ideological opposition to communist beliefs, groups, and individuals. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, when th ...
trade union movement in the late 1980s. Its first president was the trade union leader
France Tomšič France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, who in December 1987 organized a milestone workers' strike which lead to the establishment of an independent trade union, Neodvisnost, thus following the example of the
Solidarity Solidarity or solidarism is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. True solidarity means moving beyond individual identities and single issue politics ...
movement in
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
, and, in 1989, the party (which was the first opposition party in the former communist world). Tomšič was replaced as leader by
Jože Pučnik Jože Pučnik (9 March 1932 – 11 January 2003) was a Slovenian public intellectual, sociologist and politician. During the communist regime of Josip Broz Tito, he was one of the most outspoken Slovenian critics of dictatorship and lack of civil ...
later that year while the SDU was renamed as Social Democratic Party of Slovenia (SDS). Pučnik was a former dissident who had been forced to emigrate to Germany as a political exile in the 1960s. The Slovenian Democratic Union was founded in January 1989 as opposition to the
Communist Party of Slovenia The League of Communists of Slovenia (, ZKS; ) was the Slovenian branch of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, the sole legal party of Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1990. It was established in April 1937 as the Communist Party of Slovenia and was ...
, emphasizing establishment of the
rule of law The essence of the rule of law is that all people and institutions within a Body politic, political body are subject to the same laws. This concept is sometimes stated simply as "no one is above the law" or "all are equal before the law". Acco ...
and respect for
human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
and fundamental political freedoms, respect for
minority rights Minority rights are the normal individual rights as applied to members of racial, ethnic, class, religious, linguistic or gender and sexual minorities, and also the collective rights accorded to any minority group. Civil-rights movements oft ...
, and Euro-Atlantic integration (the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
and
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
). In 1991, after a conflict between the leadership and membership of SDU, the Slovenian Democratic Union split into two parties – the
social-liberal Social liberalism is a political philosophy and variety of liberalism that endorses social justice, social services, a mixed economy, and the expansion of civil and political rights, as opposed to classical liberalism which favors limited ...
wing established the Democratic Party (DSS), while the
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
faction founded the National Democratic Party (NDS). Although the Social Democratic Party suffered a clear defeat in the 1992 election, barely entering
Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
, it formed a coalition with the winning
Liberal Democracy of Slovenia Liberal Democracy of Slovenia (, LDS) is a social-liberal political party in Slovenia. Between 1992 and 2004, it (and its main predecessor, the Liberal Democratic Party) was the largest (and ruling) party in the country. In the 2011 Slovenian pa ...
(LDS) and entered the cabinet of
Janez Drnovšek Janez Drnovšek (; 17 May 1950 – 23 February 2008) was a Slovenian liberal politician, President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia (1989–1990), Prime Minister of Slovenia (1992–2002, with a short break in 2000) and President of Slovenia (20 ...
.
Janša Janša is a Slovene language, Slovene surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Anton Janša (1734–1773), Slovenian apiculturist and painter * Janez Janša (born in 1958 as Ivan Janša), Slovenian politician and former Prime Minister of ...
became party leader in 1993 after Jože Pučnik resigned due to health issues (Pučnik later became the honorary president of the party, a function he held until his death in January 2003). In 1995, the National Democratic Party joined SDS, which thus became one of the legal successors of the
Slovenian Democratic Union The Slovenian Democratic Union (, acronym SDZ) was a Slovene liberal political party, active between 1989 and 1991, during the democratization and the secession of the Republic of Slovenia from Yugoslavia. History The party was founded on 11 ...
. Janša served as Minister of Defense from 1990 to 1994. Janša has been accused of having abused his position to consolidate political power, engaging in arms trafficking to arm combatants in the
Yugoslav Wars The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place from 1991 to 2001 in what had been the Socialist Federal Republic of ...
in violation of a United Nations arms embargo, and blackmailing prominent individuals, including politicians, businesspeople, journalists, and cultural and literary figures, by threatening to make public information (to which he was privy to in his ministerial role) regarding their previously undisclosed involvement with the former communist secret police. In 1994, Janez Janša was dismissed by Prime Minister Janez Drnovšek from his role as Defence Minister because of his involvement in the Depala Vas affair (which centered around an incident in which military personnel arrested and mistreated a civilian off-duty undercover police associate that was attempting to obtain classified documents about the Ministry of Defence). SDS subsequently left the Drnovšek government as a result. The dismissal prompted protests by Janša's supporters and there were founded fears inside the government that Janša, backed by the nascent military, may refuse to relinquish power. A 2003
Mladina ''Mladina'' (English: Youth) is a Slovenian weekly political and current affairs magazine. Since the 1920s, when it was first published, it has become a voice of protest against those in power. Today, ''Mladinas weekly issues are distributed ...
article alleged that Slovenia's military's special unit (MORiS) was in 1994 performing military exercises intended to prepare the force to carry out a military
coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...
. The police force was at the same time covertly preparing to secure the state and prevent a military takeover. In a press conference shortly prior to the article's publication, Janša pointed to documents detailing these police plans to secure state institutions to argue that a coup was in fact afoot against his Ministry. In a 1999 interview with
Delo ''Delo'' () is a business oriented online media in Ukraine, belonging to ekonomika+ media holding. ''Delo'' was the first daily in Ukraine, publishing its real print circulation (13.000 - 15.000) and trying to introduce Western editorial and b ...
, Janša commented on the events of 1994, saying: "I held immense power in my hands. ..And in 1994, when they were deposing me, there was a lot of suggestions that we not accept this removal. I could have done that. But I didn't." In 1995, Janša was charged for alleged illegal arms trafficking, but the case was never brought to trial. SDS remained in opposition for the next 10 years, except for a brief period in 2000, when it entered a short-lived centre-right government led by
Andrej Bajuk Andrej Bajuk, also known in Spanish as Andrés Bajuk (18 October 1943 – 16 August 2011) was a Slovene politician and economist. He served briefly as Prime Minister of Slovenia in the year 2000, and was Minister of Finance in the centre-righ ...
, while gaining popularity among – as described by one of its former supporters,
Peter Jambrek Peter Jambrek (born 14 January 1940) is a Slovenian sociologist, jurist, politician and intellectual. He is considered among the fathers of the current Constitution of Slovenia, Slovenian Constitution, and the most influential public intellectual ...
– "lower, frustrated social strata".


A populist turn

After the year 2000, the party applied for membership in the
European People's Party The European People's Party (EPP) is a European political party with Christian democracy, Christian democratic, liberal conservatism, liberal-conservative, and conservative member parties. A transnational organisation, it is composed of other p ...
(EPP). The rightward shift culminated in the 2003 name change from Social Democratic Party to Slovenian Democratic party. The party was described as
liberal-conservative Liberal conservatism is a political ideology combining conservative policies with liberal stances, especially on economic issues but also on social and ethical matters, representing a brand of political conservatism strongly influenced by libe ...
or conservative-liberal in ideological orientation. The party's
radical Radical (from Latin: ', root) may refer to: Politics and ideology Politics *Classical radicalism, the Radical Movement that began in late 18th century Britain and spread to continental Europe and Latin America in the 19th century *Radical politics ...
populism Populism is a essentially contested concept, contested concept used to refer to a variety of political stances that emphasize the idea of the "common people" and often position this group in opposition to a perceived elite. It is frequently a ...
,
nationalistic Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation, Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Theory, Id ...
, and
xenophobic Xenophobia (from (), 'strange, foreign, or alien', and (), 'fear') is the fear or dislike of anything that is perceived as being foreign or strange. It is an expression that is based on the perception that a conflict exists between an in-gr ...
attacks was also observed by political analysts. Moreover, the local Slovenian
Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
supported it more than any other Slovenian political party. Even though not a nominally Christian party, the local church has stood fully and unconditionally behind it.


2004–2008: in power (first Janša Cabinet)

On 3 October 2004, SDS won the 2004 parliamentary election with 29.1% of the popular vote and 29 out of 88 seats. SDS then formed a coalition with
New Slovenia New Slovenia – Christian Democrats (, NSi) is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Slovenia. Since 2018, it is led by Matej Tonin. The party was formed on 4 August 2000 following a split in the unified Slovenian People ...
(NSi), the
Slovenian People's Party The Slovenian People's Party (, , Slovene abbreviation SLS ) is a conservative, agrarian, Christian democratic political party in Slovenia. Formed in 1988 under the name of Slovenian Peasant Union as the first democratic political organization i ...
(SLS), and
Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia The Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia (, also known by the acronym DeSUS) was a political party in Slovenia last led by Vlado Dimovski. The party claims broadly liberal values with a strong focus on the interests of the retired and the ...
(DeSUS), holding a total of 49 parliamentary seats (out of 90). SDS has been accused of catering to the interests of the Slovenian
Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
in exchange for political support.


Internal affairs

The government introduced measures to supervise, and to curtail the powers of the Slovenian Intelligence and Security Agency. The measures were strongly rebuked by the opposition and segments of the press as an attempt to discredit the secret intelligence service and cast a negative shadow on the policies of previous governments.


Freedom of the press

The first SDS government was the target of widespread criticism due to allegations of meddling in the independence of the press. The first SDS government has been accused of politicising the independent press by appointing political allies to leadership and journalist positioned in the state
Slovenian Press Agency The Slovenian Press Agency (; STA) is a national news agency covering domestic and international events that is based in Slovenia. Established on 20 June 1991, just days before the Independence of Slovenia, the STA News Services are targeted to ...
, daily newspaper
Delo ''Delo'' () is a business oriented online media in Ukraine, belonging to ekonomika+ media holding. ''Delo'' was the first daily in Ukraine, publishing its real print circulation (13.000 - 15.000) and trying to introduce Western editorial and b ...
, regional newspaper
Primorske novice ''Primorske novice'' () is a regional daily newspaper published in Koper, Slovenia. History and profile ''Primorske novice'' was establied in 1963 as result of the merger of weekly paper ''Nova Gorica'' (founded in 1947) with another weekly name ...
, and public media and broadcasting organisation,
RTV Slovenia Radiotelevizija Slovenija () – usually abbreviated to RTV Slovenija, RTV SLO (or simply RTV within Slovenia) – is Slovenia's national public broadcasting organization. Based in Ljubljana, it has regional broadcasting centres in Koper and Ma ...
. The government was accused of using state-owned funds and companies with controlling stakes in newspaper companies to purge critical editors and journalists. State-owned companies also ceased purchasing adverts in the daily newspaper
Dnevnik Dnevnik means "The Daily" or "Daily News" in South Slavic languages. It can also be translated as "Diary". Closely related Slavic variants of the word are Deník (Czech) Dziennik ( Polish) and Дневник (Russian). It may refer to: ;In broad ...
and weekly political magazine
Mladina ''Mladina'' (English: Youth) is a Slovenian weekly political and current affairs magazine. Since the 1920s, when it was first published, it has become a voice of protest against those in power. Today, ''Mladinas weekly issues are distributed ...
, two publications critical of the administration. By changing the laws governing the administration of the public broadcaster RTV Slovenia, the government enabled increased political control of the state media organisation's editorial board and its board of directors by increasing the number of board members appointed by the government. The law faced a referendum challenge, but was approved by a tight margin as it also promised to lower compulsory contributions for the broadcaster's funding. In a secret 2007 deal with the head of the Laško Brewery that owned the flagship national newspaper
Delo ''Delo'' () is a business oriented online media in Ukraine, belonging to ekonomika+ media holding. ''Delo'' was the first daily in Ukraine, publishing its real print circulation (13.000 - 15.000) and trying to introduce Western editorial and b ...
as subsidiary, PM Janša secured editorial influence over the newspaper while Laško would be allowed to acquire a stake in a state-owned grocery store corporation. A new, government-friendly editor-in-chief was installed despite overwhelming opposition from the newspaper's staff, and nearly a dozen of the newspaper's journalists resigned in protest. The remaining journalists found reporting critically on the government increasingly difficult due to pressure from the new leadership. In 2008, after a souring of relations, the head of Laško accused Janša of threatening him with arrest if he refused to sell the Delo newspaper company. In 2007, over five hundred journalists launched a petition against political pressures on the media. The petition accused premier Janša of limiting press freedom in particular, but was also more broadly aimed against all infringements of press freedom by either government, political actors in general, or media company owners. The
International Press Institute International Press Institute (IPI) is a global organisation dedicated to the promotion and protection of press freedom and the improvement of journalism practices. The institution was founded by 34 editors from 15 countries at Columbia Universit ...
voiced support for the petition and called on the government to create an independent body to investigate the claims of media influence. The
Association of European Journalists The Association of European Journalists (founded 1961, San Remo) is an organisation promoting the interests of journalists involved in European affairs. It is an NGO in operational relations with UNESCO and enjoys consultative status in the Coun ...
warned in 2007 of Slovene media companies' boards interfering in journalistic autonomy, reprimanding journalists and fostering other conditions that prevent critical reporting about the government and lead to self-censorship while journalists are also being prevented from covering issues that may go against the interests of the owners. SDS foreign minister
Dimitrij Rupel Dimitrij Rupel (born 7 April 1946) is a Slovenian politician. Early life and education Rupel was born in Ljubljana, in what was then the PR Slovenia, into a bourgeois family of former anti-fascist political emigrants from the Julian March (hi ...
had previously advised media owners to consider thoroughly whether a battle with the government is in their interest. SDS rejected accusations of impropriety, claiming the media was in fact controlled by leftist opposition groups.


Economy and finance

The first Cabinet of Janez Janša oversaw a period of rapid economic growth. GDP grew by nearly 5% between 2004 and 2006, reaching nearly 7% growth in 2007, making Slovenia the fastest-growing eurozone member for that year. The economic boom, however, was highly dependent on private debt, particularly corporate debt. Additionally, the Janša government failed to implement meaningful structural reforms or accumulate budget surpluses during the period of sustained growth, instead opting for
pork barrel politics ''Pork barrel'', or simply ''pork'', is a metaphor for Appropriation (law), allocating government spending to localized projects in the representative's district or for securing direct expenditures primarily serving the sole interests of the r ...
, reducing tax burdens while engaging in economic populist overspending, making the country particularly susceptible to the
2008 financial crisis The 2008 financial crisis, also known as the global financial crisis (GFC), was a major worldwide financial crisis centered in the United States. The causes of the 2008 crisis included excessive speculation on housing values by both homeowners ...
.
Andrej Bajuk Andrej Bajuk, also known in Spanish as Andrés Bajuk (18 October 1943 – 16 August 2011) was a Slovene politician and economist. He served briefly as Prime Minister of Slovenia in the year 2000, and was Minister of Finance in the centre-righ ...
, Minister of Finance in Janša's first cabinet, listed the passage of comprehensive tax reform (which included the lowering of corporate taxes and taxes on juridical persons, a reduction of the tax burden on individual incomes, the flattening of income tax margin progression, an increase in tax deductions, and a simplification of the tax code), overseeing the implementation of the Euro and the privatisation of state-owned NKBM bank, and reducing public expenditure as the greatest accomplishments of the ministry during his term (2004–2008). According to Janša, the most prominent economic challenge confronted by his government was a bout of inflation (which occurred during the 2007-08 period and was steepest for foodstuff prices). At the close of 2007, the inflation rate in Slovenia was the highest of any Eurozone member. Janša, Finance Minister Bajuk and other government officials pointed to high oil prices and a non-competitive internal food market as the main underlying causes for the inflation. Janša faced criticism for his statement regarding the issue made during a gathering of regional politicians and businessmen; Janša dismissed concerns regarding rising food prices, saying that "as long as there are loaves of bread in every city dumpster the situation isn't alarming". Economic Development Minister Andrej Vizjak similarly addressed cost of living concerns by saying that citizens "should not be loath to occasionally eat yesterday's bread", going on to say that the food price increases are an opportunity to address the overindulgence of Slovenian consumers.


2008–2011: in opposition

In the 2008 parliamentary election (held on 21 September 2008) narrowly lost against the
Social Democrats Social democracy is a social, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achieving social equality. In modern practice, s ...
, until then the main opposition party. It also lost one seat in Slovenian Parliament, falling to 28. With the election of the Social Democrat leader
Borut Pahor Borut Pahor (; born 2 November 1963) is a Slovenian politician who served as President of Slovenia from 2012 to 2022. He previously served as Prime Minister of Slovenia from 2008 to 2012. A longtime member and former president of the Social D ...
as Prime Minister of Slovenia, the Slovenian Democratic Party officially declared it would stay in opposition and form a shadow cabinet. The shadow government was formed in late December 2008, and it includes several independent members as well as members from other conservative parties. In the 2009 European election, the SDS was the most popular party in Slovenia with 26.9% of votes, more than eight points ahead of the second-most popular party, the ruling Social Democrats. In 2009, the MP
Franc Pukšič The franc is any of various units of currency. One franc is typically divided into 100 centimes. The name is said to derive from the Latin inscription ''francorum rex'' (King of the Franks) used on early French coins and until the 18th century, ...
left the Slovenian Democratic Party and joined the
Slovenian People's Party The Slovenian People's Party (, , Slovene abbreviation SLS ) is a conservative, agrarian, Christian democratic political party in Slovenia. Formed in 1988 under the name of Slovenian Peasant Union as the first democratic political organization i ...
; the SDS parliamentary group was thus reduced from 28 to 27 MPs.


2012–2013: a year in power (second Janša Cabinet)

In the 2011 snap parliamentary election (held on 4 December after the centre-left governing coalition collapsed due to internal conflict and inefficacy in passing meaningful economic reforms), SDS won 26.19% of the vote, gaining 26 seats in the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
, thus making SDS the second-largest parliamentary party after the newly formed
centre-left Centre-left politics is the range of left-wing political ideologies that lean closer to the political centre. Ideologies commonly associated with it include social democracy, social liberalism, progressivism, and green politics. Ideas commo ...
party,
Positive Slovenia Positive Slovenia (, PS) was a centre-left political party in Slovenia, following April 2014 led by founder Zoran Janković. The party was founded under the name ''Zoran Janković's List – Positive Slovenia''. It was renamed to ''Positive ...
(PS) (headed by Ljubljana mayor Zoran Janković), which won 28 MPs (28.5% of the total). However, SDS succeeded in forming a ruling four-party coalition government (which included the Civic List,
New Slovenia New Slovenia – Christian Democrats (, NSi) is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Slovenia. Since 2018, it is led by Matej Tonin. The party was formed on 4 August 2000 following a split in the unified Slovenian People ...
,
Slovenian People's Party The Slovenian People's Party (, , Slovene abbreviation SLS ) is a conservative, agrarian, Christian democratic political party in Slovenia. Formed in 1988 under the name of Slovenian Peasant Union as the first democratic political organization i ...
, and
Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia The Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia (, also known by the acronym DeSUS) was a political party in Slovenia last led by Vlado Dimovski. The party claims broadly liberal values with a strong focus on the interests of the retired and the ...
) (holding a combined total of 50 out of 90 parliamentary seats) some two months after the election after PS failed to form a coalition with a parliamentary majority. The coalition took power amid an alarming economic downturn (
European debt crisis The euro area crisis, often also referred to as the eurozone crisis, European debt crisis, or European sovereign debt crisis, was a multi-year debt crisis and financial crisis in the European Union (EU) from 2009 until, in Greece, 2018. The e ...
). The country's economic woes were further exacerbated by credit agencies' lowering of Slovenia's credit rating amid the political tumult. The coalition, headed by SDS, undertook drastic economic and financial reforms in an attempt to halt the economic downturn. Finance Minister Janez Šuštaršič pledged to speed up privatisation of state enterprises, cut public spending, and reduce budget shortfalls. Janša additionally pledged to cut taxes, remove regulations, lower the deficit, and raise the retirement age. The coalition passed laws transferring all state-owned enterprises into a single state holding company to accelerate privatisation efforts, and created a bad bank that would take on non-performing loans from the bad debt-ridden state-owned banks. It intended to cut profit and income taxes to boost the economy, and enact constitutional changes demanding balance budgets. It also passed sweeping and highly contentious austerity measures (the Law of Public Finance Balance (Slovene: ''Zakon o uravnovešenju javnih financ'' (''ZUJF''))), and reportedly planned further cuts to state spending. The ''ZUJF'' fiscal consolidation law included provisions lowering pensions (widely opposed by the public), cutting wages for public sector employees, reducing education funding, social transfers and benefits. The draft of the law sparked a public sector general strike, and the law faced the possibility of a referendum. The SDS-led government proved impotent in stemming the economic troubles facing the nation. Despite the momentous reforms efforts, the economic troubles intensified, resulting in increasing levels of unemployment, plunging living standards, a fall in domestic spending, and large budget deficits. The fall in domestic demand, coupled with falling exports, resulted in a double dip recession. A 2016 article alleges that the sharp downturn in Slovenian economic outlook was a result of Janša's overdramatic public statements regarding the economic fitness of the nation. Janša reportedly made such ominous claims for political purposes as means of solidifying political power and as a negotiating strategy to strengthen his hand during negotiations with public sector unions. The PM's eerie pronouncements were taken at face value by foreign observers, however, creating a self-fulfilling feedback loop where gloomy statements made by top Slovene officials created more panic and dismay in the foreign press and various organisations, and vice versa, resulting in falling credit ratings and asset prices, and excessive capital injections/bailouts with funds borrowed at excessively high interest rates. In late 2012, protests began to take place in Slovenia's second largest city, Maribor, against its mayor and SDS ally,
Franc Kangler Franc Kangler (born 8 July 1965) is a Slovenian politician. He has served as the mayor of Maribor, the second largest municipality in the country. On 6 December 2012, after a mass protests, he stepped down, and left office on 31 December 2012. ...
, who was being investigated due to allegations of corruption. The protests soon picked up momentum and spread across the country, becoming the largest in the independent republic's history. Protestors' main grievances were the harsh austerity measures imposed by the ruling government, looming sale-offs of state enterprises, and allegations of widespread corruption among the ruling elite. The protests also saw the worst violence in the nation's history as an independent state, with small groups of young, violent extremists - likely members of far-right and hooligan groups - clashing with police. In early 2013, the instability and public resentment was compounded after the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption revealed both PM Janez Janša and the leader of the largest opposition party (PS), Zoran Janković, violated anti-corruption laws by failing to report or account for assets in their possession and received income/payments. Janša also faced graft charges even before ascending to the premiership in 2012. He was one of the defendants being tried for corruption as result of a 2006 bribery scandal involving charges of accepting kickbacks to fund his party's electoral campaign. Media reports alleging Slovenian Intelligence and Security Agency was "infiltrated" by members of SDS also surfaced.An Intrusion of the Members of SDS into Sova
(In Slovene: "Vdor kadrov SDS v Sovo"),
Mladina ''Mladina'' (English: Youth) is a Slovenian weekly political and current affairs magazine. Since the 1920s, when it was first published, it has become a voice of protest against those in power. Today, ''Mladinas weekly issues are distributed ...
, 18 January 2013
Amid mounting pressure from continuing anti-government protests, a strike of public sector workers, and the lowest public opinion ratings of any government in the nation's history, coalition partners began to depart from the coalition. The government finally collapsed after a vote of no confidence, and a PS consensus candidate,
Alenka Bratušek Alenka Bratušek (; born 31 March 1970) is a Slovenian politician, who was the Prime Minister of Slovenia from March 2013 until May 2014 as the first woman in Slovenia to hold this position. She was president ''pro tempore'' of the Positive Slove ...
, was appointed as PM (despite some protests that continued to demand a snap election).


2013–2020: return to opposition

On 20 March 2013, the second Janša cabinet was replaced by the
cabinet of Alenka Bratušek The 11th Government of Slovenia led by Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek was announced on 20 March 2013. It was the 11th cabinet of Slovenia. It has been formed after the parliament voted a no confidence vote to Janša's cabinet after SLS, DL a ...
, a four-party centre-left coalition led by the new leader of
Positive Slovenia Positive Slovenia (, PS) was a centre-left political party in Slovenia, following April 2014 led by founder Zoran Janković. The party was founded under the name ''Zoran Janković's List – Positive Slovenia''. It was renamed to ''Positive ...
,
Alenka Bratušek Alenka Bratušek (; born 31 March 1970) is a Slovenian politician, who was the Prime Minister of Slovenia from March 2013 until May 2014 as the first woman in Slovenia to hold this position. She was president ''pro tempore'' of the Positive Slove ...
. In June 2013, Janša was convicted in the Patria case, but appealed the verdict. In April 2014, the Higher Court upheld the two-year jail sentence passed on Janez Janša as result of the bribery conviction. In June of that year, Janša began serving out his sentence, 26 years after his imprisonment for leaking military secrets as a whistle-blower ( his imprisonment, trial, and public reaction were a milestone in the Slovenian path to independence). Despite his imprisonment, Janša stood as candidate for MP. In the May
2014 European Parliament election The 2014 European Parliament election was held in the European Union (EU) between 22 and 25 May 2014. It was the 8th parliamentary election since the first direct elections in 1979, and the first in which the European political parties field ...
, SDS came in first place nationally, garnering 24.78% of the vote, and winning three MEP seats (out of eight allocated for Slovenia). The party received 20.69% of the vote in the snap Slovenian parliamentary election held on 13 July 2014, and won 21 seats in parliament. The party remained in opposition, this time to the
cabinet of Miro Cerar The 12th Government of Slovenia, led by Prime Minister Miro Cerar, was announced on 18 September 2014. It was formed following the 2014 parliamentary election won by the centre-left Party of Miro Cerar; it was the third government formed over f ...
. Janez Janša was reelected as MP despite being imprisoned. The Constitutional Court decided not to deprive Janša of his MP mandate, and Janša was allowed leave while carrying out his political functions. The Constitutional Court suspended Janša's jail sentence in December, pending the ruling regarding his appeal of the Patria verdict. The Constitutional Court decided to annul the Higher Court's decision in April 2015, returning it to the lower courts for retrial. In September of the same year, the statute of limitations of the Patria case expired. SDS representatives expressed the belief that the trial was politically motivated and that the imprisonment of the party frontman unfairly hindered their election efforts, declaring the elections illegitimate and "stolen", and demanded fresh elections. In 2018, SDS sued the state for alleged financial damages the party incurred due to the alleged election "theft", and lost the case. With a campaign largely based on anti-immigration populist rhetoric, SDS topped public opinion polls heading into the 2018 parliamentary election. The incendiary electoral campaign sparked a rally under the title "Without Fear — Against the Politics of Hatred", with some 2,000-3,000 heart-shaped balloon-carrying marchers in attendance. During the 2018 electoral campaign, SDS also begun to send postable questionnaires ("voter consults") to Slovene households. The questionnaires contained loaded questions and proposals (e.g. "... Do you support SDS's proposal that the healthcare system be set in order?"). The effort was apparently part of the party's electoral campaign, and likely fashioned on Hungarian "national consultations", which the country's ruling party has practiced for years. SDS once again emerged as winner in the 3 June 2018 parliamentary election, garnering 24.92% of the vote and winning 25 MP seats. However, the party was unlikely to be able to shore up needed support for a governing coalition, as most parliamentary parties ( List of Marjan Šarec,
Social Democrats Social democracy is a social, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achieving social equality. In modern practice, s ...
,
Modern Centre Party The Modern Centre Party (, SMC) was a social-liberal political party in Slovenia led by Minister of Economical Development and Technology Zdravko Počivalšek, who succeeded former Prime Minister and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Miro Ce ...
, The Left,
Party of Alenka Bratušek The Party of Alenka Bratušek (, SAB) was a political party in Slovenia. The party was formed from a split from Positive Slovenia in May 2014, and merged into the Freedom Movement in June 2022. The party participated in both the Bratušek and ...
, and
Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia The Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia (, also known by the acronym DeSUS) was a political party in Slovenia last led by Vlado Dimovski. The party claims broadly liberal values with a strong focus on the interests of the retired and the ...
) had declared that they would not participate in a coalition with SDS. Some two weeks after the 2018 election, Janša again met with Hungarian PM Orbán during a private visit in Budapest. Janša and Orbán also held a conference call with US president
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
during the meeting. Janša stated he would be willing to relinquish his post as PM designate to some other SDS MP such a move would ease tensions and enable SDS to form a coalition government. Despite the concession, the PM post was eventually occupied by the leader of the second largest parliamentary party,
Marjan Šarec Marjan Šarec (born 2 December 1977) is a Slovenian politician, actor and comedian who served as Prime Minister of Slovenia from 2018 to 2020. He also served as the Minister of Defence in the government of Prime Minister Robert Golob from June 202 ...
, who succeeded in forming a centre-left
minority government A minority government, minority cabinet, minority administration, or a minority parliament is a government and cabinet formed in a parliamentary system when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in ...
(without the participation of SDS). After the 2018 parliamentary election, SDS failed to regain its traditionally strong showing of support in
opinion polls An opinion poll, often simply referred to as a survey or a poll, is a human research survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of que ...
which had been typical for the party while in opposition. Speaking to the media regarding the faltering performance, SDS officials blamed the government's alleged populist economic policies and a disproportionately hostile news media, while independent political analysts pointed to the
big tent A big tent party, or catch-all party, is a political party having members covering a broad spectrum of beliefs. This is in contrast to other kinds of parties, which defend a determined ideology, seek voters who adhere to that ideology, and att ...
populist appeal of the ruling LMŠ party and its leader that attracted some traditionally conservative voters, and the momentous changes in the political environment and nature of SDS since 2011-2012.


2020–2022: third Janša Cabinet

In early 2020, the resignation of the finance minister due to intra-government disagreements regarding the crafting of a health insurance reform bill precipitated the resignation of PM Šarec, who called for an early election. SDS was however able to secure support for the formation of a new SDS-led government by forming a coalition with
New Slovenia New Slovenia – Christian Democrats (, NSi) is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Slovenia. Since 2018, it is led by Matej Tonin. The party was formed on 4 August 2000 following a split in the unified Slovenian People ...
, Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia (DeSUS), and Modern Centre Party (SMC). While all three parties had expressed clear opposition to a formation of a Janša-led government in the past, all had since experienced changes of leadership that was more amenable to such an arrangement. The news that SMC would be entering into a coalition with Janša resulted in the departure of the party's founder and first head, Miro Cerar, after whom the party was initially named ("Miro Cerar Party"). Janša was confirmed as PM on 13 March 2020. The coalition agreement signed between the 4 parties stipulated, among other things: the re-introduction of the draft and 6 months of mandatory military service, utilisation of private healthcare providers to reduce waiting times, an increase in public and private healthcare funds, promote apprenticeships in vocational school, a commitment to
carbon neutrality Global net-zero emissions is reached when greenhouse gas emissions and removals due to human activities are in balance. It is often called simply net zero. ''Emissions'' can refer to all greenhouse gases or only carbon dioxide (). Reaching net ze ...
by 2050, decentralisation, decreasing public spending, an increase in funds for municipalities, tax reductions for performance pay, an increase in pensions, and an introduction of a universal child benefit instead of an income-based one.


2022–present: return to opposition again

In April 2022, liberal opposition, The Freedom Movement, won the parliamentary
election An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold Public administration, public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative d ...
. The Freedom Movement won 34.5% of the vote, compared with 23.6% for Slovenian Democratic Party. On 25 May 2022, Slovenia's parliament voted to appoint the leader of Freedom Movement,
Robert Golob Robert Golob (born 23 January 1967) is a Slovenian businessman and politician, serving as Prime Minister of Slovenia and leader of the Freedom Movement since 2022. Early life and education Golob obtained his PhD in electrical engineering at th ...
, as the new
Prime Minister of Slovenia The prime minister of Slovenia, officially the president of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia (), is the Head of government, head of the Government of Slovenia, Government of the Slovenia, Republic of Slovenia. There have been nine offi ...
to succeed Janez Janša. Following the 2024 European Parliament elections, Janša opposed the
European People's Party The European People's Party (EPP) is a European political party with Christian democracy, Christian democratic, liberal conservatism, liberal-conservative, and conservative member parties. A transnational organisation, it is composed of other p ...
maintaining its coalition with left-leaning parliamentary groups, and expressed openness to leaving the EPP. There was speculation that the SDS would join the right-wing
Patriots for Europe Patriots for Europe (PfE or Patriots) is a right-wing to far-right sovereigntist political group, formed as the third-largest group ahead of the tenth European Parliament. The group includes all but one member from the Identity and Democracy g ...
group, though this ultimately did not happen.


Ideology and policies

Originally a
centre-left Centre-left politics is the range of left-wing political ideologies that lean closer to the political centre. Ideologies commonly associated with it include social democracy, social liberalism, progressivism, and green politics. Ideas commo ...
to
centre-right Centre-right politics is the set of right-wing politics, right-wing political ideologies that lean closer to the political centre. It is commonly associated with conservatism, Christian democracy, liberal conservatism, and conservative liberalis ...
political party, SDS gradually drifted rightward, eventually becoming a
right-wing Right-wing politics is the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position based on natural law, economics, authority, property ...
party. Janša has been described as an
illiberal Historically, the adjective illiberal has been mostly applied to personal attitudes, behaviors and practices “unworthy of a free man”, such as lack of generosity, lack of sophisticated culture, intolerance, narrow-mindedness, meanness. Lord Ches ...
leader. Commenting on the question of
illiberal democracies The term "illiberal democracy" describes a governing system that hides its "nondemocratic practices behind formally democratic institutions and procedures". There is a lack of consensus among experts about the exact definition of illiberal ...
like those in Hungary and Poland, Janša stated: "For me, all of these mainstream political orientations are equal, and equally legitimate. ..I cannot agree to the division between liberal and illiberal democracy. Democracy is democracy ..If I fight for the affection of my voters, in a free world, everyone is equal."
Deutsche Welle (; "German Wave"), commonly shortened to DW (), is a German state-funded television network, state-owned international broadcaster funded by the Federal Government of Germany. The service is available in 32 languages. DW's satellite tele ...
has described supporters of the party as "disagree ngwith the majority of the population on more or less everything, starting with the history of World War II, where they cherish the memory of the German-allied wartime military guard."


Populism

During the
European migrant crisis The 2015 European migrant crisis was a period of significantly increased movement of refugees and Human migration, migrants into Europe, mostly from the Middle East. An estimated 1.3 million people came to the continent to request Right of asyl ...
, SDS sharply intensified its nationalist populist rhetoric. The party came out in opposition of migrant quotas and advocated diverting financial resources from non-governmental organisations to security spending. Janša also lambasted the "degenerate left". The party's heated rhetoric and allegations of corrupt practices have led "to concerns among international observers about the direction of Slovenia, which is generally regarded as a regional success story" as SDS topped
opinion polls An opinion poll, often simply referred to as a survey or a poll, is a human research survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of que ...
heading into the 2018 parliamentary election. The party has co-opted former US President Donald Trump's populist rhetoric, with Janša and the party echoing Trump's catchphrases "drain the swamp", "deep state", and "fake news". The party has also proposed requiring that for each new regulation, two existing regulations must be repealed, a proposal notably advocated for and enacted by Trump. Janša has also used the phrase "Slovenia first" on multiple occasions. Janša's rhetoric has been described as "
Trumpian Trumpism, also referred to as the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, is the political movement and ideology behind U.S. president Donald Trump and his political base. It comprises ideologies such as right-wing populism, right-wing ...
". The party periodically sends questionnaire mailers to Slovene households. The so-called ''Consultations with Voters'' ask recipients to fill out answers to highly suggestive questions and enter their personal information to be eligible to receive various prizes.


Domestic policy


Economic policy

SDS has been described as broadly pro-market, and its economic policies have been characterised as
neoliberal Neoliberalism is a political and economic ideology that advocates for free-market capitalism, which became dominant in policy-making from the late 20th century onward. The term has multiple, competing definitions, and is most often used pej ...
. SDS advocates for lower taxes and speeding up privatisation efforts.


Social policy

SDS introduced legislation allowing for same-sex civil unions while in government, but has opposed recognition of same-sex marriages. PM Janša was one of the few EU leaders to explicitly back the Hungarian government's right to prohibit the portrayal of LGBT persons and topics in mass media which could be seen by children.


Education policy

SDS advocates the introduction of educational programs that would introduce "patriotic education from kindergarten through high school". The party holds that all expenses of compulsory curricular programs in private schools should be borne by the state.


National security

Janša has expressed strong support for the re-instatement of
mandatory military service Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it contin ...
for males with service lasting at least 6 months (with an option of 12 months of civil service for conscientious objectors). In early 2016, SDS proposed the establishment of a national guard composed of some 25,000 "patriotic" volunteers. The guard would replace all current reserve formations of the Slovene armed forces, would be under direct command of the general staff, and would be mobilised during natural disasters or during "altered national security states" (like the European refugee crisis, which was ongoing at the time). Both sexes could enlist. MP Žan Mahnič stated the establishment of the formation was a priority of the party's electoral platform. The proposal was prompted by worsening global national security prospects, in part due to the "migrant crisis", an SDS representative claimed. Government representatives argued that such a formation is unnecessary as the current reserve formations are sufficient.


Judiciary and law enforcement

SDS advocates for trials to be open to the public (except in special circumstances).


Environment and climate change

During the first SDS government, PM Janša presented climate change as the major political and societal challenge of the era. In 2007, Janša stated that "climate change is not only a problem for the government and economy; it is a challenge for the wider society and every individual" during an international conference on the matter, stressing the dangers and opportunities associated with the issue. He called on the EU to lead the efforts to
combat climate change Climate change mitigation (or decarbonisation) is action to limit the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that cause climate change. Climate change mitigation actions include conserving energy and replacing fossil fuels with clean energy sour ...
. In 2008, Janša described an EU legislative package on energy and climate change as "one of the most important ... of the beginning of the 21st century", and as one of the priorities of Slovenia during its EU Council Presidency. In 2008, SDS MEP
Romana Jordan Cizelj Romana Jordan (born 8 January 1966) is a Slovenian politician and physicist, currently serving as Member of the European Parliament (MEP). She is a member of the Slovenian Democratic Party, which is part of the European People's Party, and sits ...
stated that "counteracting climate change is not an individual choice, but a global challenge requiring the effort of the society as a whole. ..The data reveal changes in ecosystems due to antropogenic emissions and possible trends in the future. ..It is still possible to act. But we must act decisively, swiftly, and in unison. First in coordination within the EU, and then in the global sense." By 2018, the party seemed to have reversed its position on the issue, with MP Branko Grims prominently making multiple public statements, including in media statements and parliamentary discussions, that outright denied the existence of anthropogenic climate change. Grims has said that "the talk about the warming of the Earth is a
big lie A big lie () is a gross distortion or misrepresentation of the truth primarily used as a political propaganda technique. The German expression was first used by Adolf Hitler in his book ''Mein Kampf'' (1925) to describe how people could be in ...
", that the Earth is in fact cooling, that climate change is being used as an excuse for allowing mass migrations and the expropriation of taxpayer funds (that are then embezzled by academics, the "eco-industry" and leftist lobbies), and that the political left is using the issue to exploit the youth. Grims has appealed to his background as a geologist to present himself as authoritative on the issue. Grims also controversially claimed that the black panther, which is ostensibly represented in the
Carantania Carantania, also known as Carentania (, , in Old Slavic '), was a Slavic principality that emerged in the second half of the 7th century, in the territory of present-day southern Austria and north-eastern Slovenia. Since the middle of the ...
n panther sigil that has been adopted as the alternate Slovenian national symbol by some modern-era conservative political groups, was native to the Slovene region but became extinct due to global cooling during the Carantanian era (the claim was dismissed by experts who said the black panther had not been endemic to the region since at least the last ice age). In November 2019, Janša, discussing climate change, stated: "Times are different now, generations are growing up with an awareness that the environment is a value. Of course, some on the left scene, pervaded by cultural Marxism, have swiftly added catastrophic proclamations which are supposed to be caused by climate change. It is being preached how climate change is exclusively man-made, which is entirely unproven. Climate change has been occurring throughout the history of this planet and will continue to. To what extent we are influencing this is a big question. It is a fact that we are. It is a fact that environmental pollution of course in part affects the climate. But I think that it affects it much less than changes on the Sun, or, that is, things which humans cannot influence. This must be understood and it should not be made into ideology and the fame of new
Moloch Moloch, Molech, or Molek is a word which appears in the Hebrew Bible several times, primarily in the Book of Leviticus. The Greek Septuagint translates many of these instances as "their king", but maintains the word or name ''Moloch'' in others, ...
s such as
Greta Greta may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Greta'' (2018 film), a thriller film directed by Neil Jordan * ''Greta'' (2020 film), a documentary film about activist Greta Thunberg Music * Greta (band), hard rock band * Greta (song), ...
."


Other policies

SDS has long advocated for a change in the Slovene parliamentary electoral system, namely the shift from the current
proportional electoral system Proportional representation (PR) refers to any electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to political divisions (political parties) among voters. The aim ...
to two-round
plurality voting Plurality voting refers to electoral systems in which the candidates in an electoral district who poll more than any other (that is, receive a plurality) are elected. Under single-winner plurality voting, and in systems based on single-member ...
. SDS argues this would result in more stable and effective governments. SDS supports citizens' "legal right to bear arms", and has come out in opposition to further restrictions. It strongly opposed new EU regulation of firearms which the European Commission moved to pass after the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks. SDS has backed legislation to loosen controls on civilian possession of firearms, firearm accessories, and other weapons. In 2023, Janša called on citizens to legally arm themselves in order to "protect their family and their country" from immigrants, saying that the current government was incapable of protecting the country and its citizens. SDS supports legalising the medicinal use of cannabis, but opposes legalisation of its recreational use. SDS opposes the legalisation of assisted dying. SDS argues the current text to the Slovene national anthem—the 7th stanza of France Prešeren's A Toast ("Blessed be all nations/Which yearn to see the light of day/When where'er the Sun doth wander/The lands' strife shall be cast away/And when free every kinsman will be/Not fiends, only neighbours in foreigners we'll see!")—is "too internationalistic, and insufficiently patriotic", and advocates other stanzas from Prešeren's poem be added as text to the official anthem. The party advocates a ban on "all public expression of ideas through the use of totalitarian symbols" and "all public displays of affection for totalitarian regimes". The party has denied accusations that it is merely attempting to outlaw the
red star A red star, five-pointed and filled, is a symbol that has often historically been associated with communist ideology, particularly in combination with the hammer and sickle, but is also used as a purely socialist symbol in the 21st century. ...
, which was the symbol of the
Slovene Partisans The Slovene Partisans, formally the National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Slovenia, were part of Europe's most effective anti-Nazi resistance movement Jeffreys-Jones, R. (2013): ''In Spies We Trust: The Story of Western Intelligence ...
during WWII, and is still often used in the Slovenian public sphere, including as a symbol/logo of a parliamentary political party. The proposed law would not, on the other hand, ban wearing Nazi uniforms in public or displaying symbols associated with the Nazi-aligned anti-Partisan
Slovene Home Guard The Slovene Home Guard (, SD; ) was a Slovenes#World War II and aftermath, Slovene anti-Slovene Partisans, Partisan militia that was founded and supported by the Germans and fought alongside them against the Partisans. It operated during part of ...
.


Foreign policy

The party is pro-European, but staunchly anti-immigration and strongly opposed to EU asylum quotas. The party is committed to Slovenia's continuing membership in NATO. Following the US targeted killing of Iranian gen.
Qasem Soleimani Qasem Soleimani (; 11 March 1957 – 3 January 2020) was an Iranian military officer who served in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). From 1998 until Assassination of Qasem Soleimani, his assassination by the United States in 2020, h ...
, the party released a statement declaring that "SDS supports the strong US response to the provocations of the Ayatollah extremist regime ... ." Janša has expressed steadfast support for
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
and former Israeli PM
Netanyahu Benjamin Netanyahu (born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who has served as the prime minister of Israel since 2022, having previously held the office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime min ...
and his government. During the
2021 Israel–Palestine crisis The 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis, sometimes called the Unity Intifada, was a major outbreak of violence in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict that mainly commenced on 10 May 2021, and continued until a ceasefire came into effect on 21 May. I ...
, the SDS-led Slovenian government flew an Israeli flag on the ediface of the building housing the Slovene government as a show of support and solidarity with Israel. PM Janša has described criticism of Israel's policies towards Palestinians as tantamount to antisemitism. After taking over the European Council presidency in 2021, the third Janša government chose confronting violent left-wing extremism and anarchism at the EU level as one of its proposed policy priorities. Janša and SDS support
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
in the context of the
Russo-Ukrainian War The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia Russian occupation of Crimea, occupied and Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, annexed Crimea from Ukraine. It then ...
and advocate a hardline stance against
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
. In 2014, the party put out a statement endorsing the
Euromaidan Euromaidan ( ; , , ), or the Maidan Uprising, was a wave of Political demonstration, demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on 21 November 2013 with large protests in Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) in Kyiv. The p ...
protests and the efforts of fellow EPP affiliates therein, condemning human rights abuses by the then-incumbent Ukrainian government of
Viktor Yanukovych Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych (born 9 July 1950) is a Ukrainian politician who served as the fourth president of Ukraine from 2010 to 2014. He also served as the prime minister of Ukraine several times between 2002 and 2007 and was a member of t ...
. In 2015, SDS accused
Miro Cerar Miroslav Cerar Jr. (, known as Miro Cerar ;) (born 25 August 1963) is a Slovenian law professor and politician. He was Prime Minister of Slovenia, leading the 12th Government. He served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs i ...
's then-incumbent Slovenian
government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...
of
Russophilia Russophilia is the identification or solidarity with, appreciation of, or support for the country, people, language, and history of Russia. One who espouses Russophilia is called a russophile. Its antonym is Russophobia. In the 19th century, ...
and drifting away from Europe, citing a visit to Slovenia by then-
Russian prime minister The prime minister of the Russian Federation, also domestically stylized as the chairman of the government of the Russian Federation and widely recognized as the prime minister, is the head of government of Russia and the second highest ranking ...
Dmitry Medvedev Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev (born 14 September 1965) is a Russian politician and lawyer who has served as Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia since 2020. Medvedev was also President of Russia between 2008 and 2012 and Prime Mini ...
. Following the full-scale
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
, Janša was among the first foreign leaders to visit Ukraine on 15 March 2022 alongside the
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...
and
Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...
prime ministers at the time, respectively
Mateusz Morawiecki Mateusz Jakub Morawiecki (; born 20 June 1968) is a Polish economist, historian and politician who served as the prime minister of Poland between 2017 and 2023. A member of the Law and Justice (PiS) party, he previously served in the Cabinet of ...
and
Petr Fiala Petr Fiala (; born 1 September 1964) is a Czech politician and political scientist who has been the prime minister of the Czech Republic since December 2021 and leader of the Civic Democratic Party (Czech Republic), Civic Democratic Party (ODS) ...
. The visit was aimed at supporting Ukraine's independence.


Post-communist cabal conspiracy

The central tenet of the party's view regarding the country's political situation is that a clique composed mostly of former Communist Party officials and associates has retained significant control over the economic, financial, political, social, judicial, and journalistic aspects of Slovenian public life. SDS has accused the post-communist underground of undermining SDS-led governments and lamented that "Slovenia is the only former communist country that has not implemented the lustration." In 2021, PM Janša addressed an official missive to the European Commission, calling on the European Union to launch an official inquiry into the "problem ... fSlovenia's communist legacy" that is ostensibly endangering "the state of democracy in Slovenia", and to aid the Slovenian government in remedying the situation. SDS's emphasis on the role of former Yugoslav communist party affiliates in Slovene political and public life has been criticised as hypocritical since many SDS politicians were also active within the former Yugoslav communist regime. In a 2021 draft party resolution, SDS warned that the country's democratic order is under threat from leftist extremist forces at home and abroad, claiming that the country may be on the verge of a coup, civil war, and an establishment of a totalitarian government. The document claims that the goal of the entrenched elites has progressed beyond attempting to eliminate Janša and SDS, to attempting to institute a new communist order in the country. The document also calls for the banning of the allegedly unconstitutional party The Left (citing a fake "secret manifesto" of the party), and concludes by affirming the party's commitment to prevent, by any means necessary, "the establishment of an eco-socialist system ... totalitarian system". Shortly after releasing the party document, SDS requested a parliamentary session to be held to discuss the ostensible unconstitutional conduct of The Left party and pass a resolution calling on "all state organs to intensify their monitoring, investigations, and prevention of attempts to overthrow parliamentary democracy and other constitutional foundations" due to The Left party's policies, and inviting the ministers of interior and defense as well as the chief of national intelligence to participate in the session. The speaker of parliament refused to hold the session after ascertaining that the issue was under the purview of the judicial branch. After the 3rd Janša government was defeated in the 2022 Slovenian parliamentary elections, Janša repeatedly accused the succeeding Golob government of leading the country into civil war. In a lengthy 2023 essay, Janša warned of impending deadly violence from leftist government supporters and warned that his side will respond to any killing of one of theirs with retaliatory mass killings: "
hey are Hey, HEY, or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the ...
once again reviving the ominous spirit of CIVIL WAR ..Those who threaten DEATH today, who applaud such threats or encourage them by implementing the government measures listed above, are mostly publicly known. The digital world holds all these records. So, beware. ..A revolt will break out, and there is no tax haven that is far away enough where those responsible can hide from the hand of justice. ..realise that the lady with the scythe is swinging from both sides. ..people of a particular calibre only understood this language. So, we have used it, and we believe that they have understood it. But we no longer believe that they will listen to what we have to say. They have taken things too far." SDS members and affiliates frequently employ particular phrases and concepts to represent their world-view, most notably: * "Udbomafia" (from
UDBA The State Security Service, also known by its original name as the Directorate for State Security, was the secret police organization of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Communist Yugoslavia. It was at all times best known by the acrony ...
, the Yugoslav secret police service) – a portmanteau neologism coined in the early 1990s to refer to an alleged cabal of former
Slovenian Communist Party The League of Communists of Slovenia (, ZKS; ) was the Slovenian branch of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, the sole legal party of Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1990. It was established in April 1937 as the Communist Party of Slovenia and was ...
members and officials, and UDBA informants and collaborators that supposedly still hold the reins of economic and political power. The phrase is often used by SDS and affiliated publications. * "Uncles from behind the scenes" (or "godfathers in the background," an idiom for
éminence grise An ''éminence grise'' () or gray eminence is a powerful decisionmaker or advisor who operates covertly in a nonpublic or unofficial capacity. The original French phrase referred to François Leclerc du Tremblay, the right hand man of Cardina ...
) – alleged sponsors and influencers of prominent Slovene politicians who are said to merely act as fronts for the vested political and economic interests of the "uncles". Former PMs
Miro Cerar Miroslav Cerar Jr. (, known as Miro Cerar ;) (born 25 August 1963) is a Slovenian law professor and politician. He was Prime Minister of Slovenia, leading the 12th Government. He served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs i ...
, and Alenka Bratušek, PS head Zoran Janković, and anti-establishment newcomer
Marjan Šarec Marjan Šarec (born 2 December 1977) is a Slovenian politician, actor and comedian who served as Prime Minister of Slovenia from 2018 to 2020. He also served as the Minister of Defence in the government of Prime Minister Robert Golob from June 202 ...
are some of the politicians accused of having "uncles from behind the scenes". The phrase was also occasionally used by former PM and President
Borut Pahor Borut Pahor (; born 2 November 1963) is a Slovenian politician who served as President of Slovenia from 2012 to 2022. He previously served as Prime Minister of Slovenia from 2008 to 2012. A longtime member and former president of the Social D ...
, on one occasion accusing the "uncles" of attempting to topple his premiership. Milan Kučan, who is most often accused of being the foremost "uncle from behind the scenes", demanded Pahor clarify his insinuation. Pahor also accused his main 2017 presidential election challenger, Marjan Šarec, of being well looked after by the "uncles". Šarec likewise demanded Pahor clarify his statements, but also did not receive an answer. *
Milan Kučan Milan Kučan (; born 14 January 1941) is a Slovenian former politician who served as the first President of Slovenia from 1991 to 2002. Before being president of Slovenia, he was the 13th President of Slovenia#Socialist Republic of Slovenia, Pres ...
– the former two-time President of Slovenia and last leader of the
League of Communists of Slovenia The League of Communists of Slovenia (, ZKS; ) was the Slovenian branch of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, the sole legal party of Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1990. It was established in April 1937 as the Communist Party of Slovenia and was ...
is frequently accused by SDS of exerting supreme covert influence over the Slovenian political sphere. In 2013, SDS alleged that Kučan was acting from behind the scenes to topple the SDS-led government; the allegation was made in a formal letter that the party addressed to multiple foreign institutions. Politicians allegedly under Kučan's influence include former
New Slovenia New Slovenia – Christian Democrats (, NSi) is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Slovenia. Since 2018, it is led by Matej Tonin. The party was formed on 4 August 2000 following a split in the unified Slovenian People ...
leader
Ljudmila Novak Ljudmila Novak (born 1 August 1959) is a Slovenian politician and a Member of the European Parliament. She is the president of the New Slovenia – Christian People's Party. Since 21 December 2011, she has been the vice-president of the Slovenia ...
and 2018 newcomer Marjan Šarec, former PM
Alenka Bratušek Alenka Bratušek (; born 31 March 1970) is a Slovenian politician, who was the Prime Minister of Slovenia from March 2013 until May 2014 as the first woman in Slovenia to hold this position. She was president ''pro tempore'' of the Positive Slove ...
and Ljubljana mayor and PS leader Zoran Janković, among others. Janša was fined €12,000 after labelling two female RTV Slovenia journalists as "cheap, used-up prostitutes" of "#pimpMilan učan in a tweet, later also receiving a 3-month suspended jail sentence for the offense. During an event marking the handover of the rotating
European Council The European Council (informally EUCO) is a collegiate body (directorial system) and a symbolic collective head of state, that defines the overall political direction and general priorities of the European Union (EU). It is composed of the he ...
leadership to PM Janša, Commissioner
Ursula von der Leyen Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen (; ; born 8 October 1958) is a German politician, serving as president of the European Commission since 2019. She served in the Cabinet of Germany, German federal government between 2005 and 2019, holding position ...
both opened and closed her speech by quoting Kučan in what was seen as a subtle jibe at Janša's political camp. * Forum 21 – a Slovenian liberal think tank established by Milan Kučan and attended by prominent members of the Slovenian political and economic elite to discuss relevant problems facing the nation. SDS has accused the think tank of undue influence in appointment and policy decisions of liberal governments. * Murgle – the upscale Murgle residential district known for its one-story houses is home to many prominent Slovenian political and economic figures, including former liberal presidents Milan Kučan (often the main target of allusions to "Murgle") and
Janez Drnovšek Janez Drnovšek (; 17 May 1950 – 23 February 2008) was a Slovenian liberal politician, President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia (1989–1990), Prime Minister of Slovenia (1992–2002, with a short break in 2000) and President of Slovenia (20 ...
(deceased), former PM
Miro Cerar Miroslav Cerar Jr. (, known as Miro Cerar ;) (born 25 August 1963) is a Slovenian law professor and politician. He was Prime Minister of Slovenia, leading the 12th Government. He served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs i ...
, and Liberation Front partisan and last president of the
SR Slovenia The Socialist Republic of Slovenia (, sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Socijalistička Republika Slovenija, Социјалистичка Република Словенија), commonly referred to as Socialist Slovenia or simply Slovenia, was one ...
,
Janez Stanovnik Janez Stanovnik (4 August 1922 – 31 January 2020) was a Slovenian economist, politician, and Partisan. He served as the last President of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia between 1988 and 1990. From 2003 to 2013, he was the president of the ...
, among others. "Murgle" is thus another reference to the alleged behind-the-scenes influence exerted by the country's ostensibly retired leftist elites. Upon being sentenced to a two-year prison sentence in the Patria corruption case, Janez Janša stated that the verdict was "written in advance in Murgle and by known authors". SDS later labelled the 2014 parliamentary election as illegitimate due to the conviction and resulting concurring prison term of Janša. Janša also blamed "Murgle" after prosecutors filed a motion to confiscate Janša's illegally obtained holdings. As part of its 2018 electoral campaign, SDS released an ad where a couple orders pizza delivery from SDS and "Pizza Murgle". The Murgle box is revealed to only contain half a pizza. SDS-affiliated Nova24TV news portal also promoted videos entitled "Murgle Puppet Theatre", which satirically portrayed a closed-door meeting presided over by Milan Kučan discussing political strategy with recently resigned PM Miro Cerar (leader of ruling
Modern Centre Party The Modern Centre Party (, SMC) was a social-liberal political party in Slovenia led by Minister of Economical Development and Technology Zdravko Počivalšek, who succeeded former Prime Minister and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Miro Ce ...
), Agriculture Minister
Dejan Židan Dejan Židan () (born 16 October 1967) is a Slovenian politician, former leader of the Social Democrats (Slovenia), Social Democrats, and the former speaker of the National Assembly of Slovenia. A veterinarian by education, Židan served as minis ...
(leader of the
Social Democrats Social democracy is a social, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achieving social equality. In modern practice, s ...
), Foreign Minister
Karl Erjavec Karl Viktor Erjavec (born 21 June 1960) is a Slovenian lawyer and politician who served in the government of Slovenia as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2012 to 2018. He was the president of the Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia, havin ...
(leader of DeSUS), and
Marjan Šarec Marjan Šarec (born 2 December 1977) is a Slovenian politician, actor and comedian who served as Prime Minister of Slovenia from 2018 to 2020. He also served as the Minister of Defence in the government of Prime Minister Robert Golob from June 202 ...
(leader of the List of Marjan Šarec). *First-class and second-class citizens – the Slovenian society is ostensibly divided between the first-class entrenched leftist elites seeking to perpetuate their socioeconomic privileges and stranglehold over the country, and the downtrodden masses of second-class citizens that SDS advocates for. In 2019, Janša published a book of essays entitled ''First-Class Citizens: A System for the False Elite''. The SDS-affiliated TV channel
Nova24TV Nova24TV is a Slovenian right-wing news media conglomerate operating an eponymous news television channel and online news portal. Nova24TV was founded by members and supporters of the Slovenian Democratic Party. The news media organisation's sta ...
has aired a program named ''Second-Class Citizens''.


Organization


Leadership

The Social Democratic Party and Slovenian Democratic Party had the following presidents. *
France Tomšič France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, 1989. *
Jože Pučnik Jože Pučnik (9 March 1932 – 11 January 2003) was a Slovenian public intellectual, sociologist and politician. During the communist regime of Josip Broz Tito, he was one of the most outspoken Slovenian critics of dictatorship and lack of civil ...
, 1989–1993. *
Janez Janša Ivan Janša (; born 17 September 1958), better known as Janez Janša (), is a Slovenian politician who served three times as a prime minister of Slovenia, a position he had held from 2004 to 2008, from 2012 to 2013, and from 2020 to 2022. Since ...
, 1993–current.


Membership

As of 2013, SDS membership numbered some 30,000 strong, more than any other political party in Slovenia.
Slovenian Democratic Youth The Slovenian Democratic Youth (SDM; {{langx, sl, Slovenska demokratska mladina) is the youth section of the Slovenian Democratic Party (''Slovenska demokratska stranka'', SDS), a Slovenian center-right liberal conservative party. Since the mid-19 ...
(, SDM) is the independent and autonomous
youth wing A youth wing is a subsidiary, autonomous, or independently allied front of a larger organization (usually a political party but occasionally another type of organization) that is formed in order to rally support for that organization from members ...
of the party.


Supporters and affiliates

SDS has seen some support from the Slovene Catholic Church. The party enjoys strong support in some Slovene
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
and
classical liberal Classical liberalism is a political tradition and a branch of liberalism that advocates free market and laissez-faire economics and civil liberties under the rule of law, with special emphasis on individual autonomy, limited government, eco ...
intellectual circles. Public figures who have publicly voiced support for SDS or affiliated themselves with the party include economist
Ljubo Sirc Ljubo Sirc CBE (19 April 1920 – 1 December 2016) was a British- Slovene economist and prominent dissident from Yugoslavia. Life and work Sirc was born in Kranj, then part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, in a wealthy and ren ...
(joined the party in 2010), philosopher
Ivan Urbančič Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was the Bul ...
, historians
Vasko Simoniti Vasko Simoniti (born 23 March 1951) is a Slovenian historian and politician. Between 2004 and 2008, he served as the Minister of Culture of Slovenia, being reappointed in 2020. He is an active member of the Slovenian Democratic Party. Early ...
and
Alenka Puhar Alenka Puhar (born 4 February 1945) is a Slovenian journalist, author, translator, and historian. In 1982, she wrote a groundbreaking psychohistory-inspired book ''"The Primal Text of Life"'' (in Slovene: ''Prvotno besedilo življenja'') about ...
, writer and essayist
Drago Jančar Drago Jančar (; born 13 April 1948) is a Slovenian writer, playwright and essayist. Jančar is one of the most well-known contemporary Slovene writers. In Slovenia, he is also famous for his political commentaries and civic engagement. Jančar' ...
, theologian and philosopher Janez Juhant, and poet Tone Kuntner. Public supporters of the party also include sportsmen
Miran Pavlin Miran Pavlin (born 8 October 1971) is a Slovenian football executive and former player who played as midfielder. He featured for clubs such as Olimpija, SC Freiburg, Olympiakos Nicosia, APOEL, FC Porto and Olimpija Ljubljana. As of August 20 ...
, and
Katja Koren Katja Koren Miklavec (born 6 August 1975) is a former Slovenian alpine skier. Born in Maribor, she won a bronze medal in the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. She took her sole World Cup win at the age of 18 in a Super-G in Flachau in Dec ...
, pop singer Marta Zore, designer and cartoonist
Miki Muster Nikolaj Muster (22 November 1925 – 7 May 2018), known as Miki Muster, was a Slovenian academic sculptor, illustrator, cartoonist, and animator. He is viewed as a pioneer in the field of comics and animation in Slovenia, known for the series of ...
, and actor
Roman Končar Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
. In 2008, SDS was found to have falsely attributed "supporter status" to many prominent Slovenes on its webpage. The party sent a request to comment on the ruling government for its party newspaper to numerous notable public figures. Though they were never asked whether they support the party or informed they will be listed as supporters, SDS nevertheless listed them as such.


Former supporters and affiliates

Many prominent members have abandoned SDS due to the radicalisation of the party's ideology and disagreements over leadership style. Some also established new political parties. Most former members politically transitioned towards the centre, with a minority outflanking SDS on the far right. Former public supporters include: sportsman
Miran Pavlin Miran Pavlin (born 8 October 1971) is a Slovenian football executive and former player who played as midfielder. He featured for clubs such as Olimpija, SC Freiburg, Olympiakos Nicosia, APOEL, FC Porto and Olimpija Ljubljana. As of August 20 ...
. Former supporters or affiliated individuals that have since come out as critics of the party include: one of the fathers of the current Slovenian Constitution
Peter Jambrek Peter Jambrek (born 14 January 1940) is a Slovenian sociologist, jurist, politician and intellectual. He is considered among the fathers of the current Constitution of Slovenia, Slovenian Constitution, and the most influential public intellectual ...
, the former chairman of
Rally for the Republic The Rally for the Republic ( ; RPR ) was a Gaullist and conservative political party in France. Originating from the Union of Democrats for the Republic (UDR), it was founded by Jacques Chirac in 1976 and presented itself as the heir of Gaul ...
and Civic List party leader
Gregor Virant Gregor Virant (born 4 December 1969) is a Slovenian politician and public servant. Between 2004 and 2008, he served as Minister of Public Administration in Janez Janša's first government, between 2011–2013 he was Speaker of the National Assem ...
, and liberal economist
Jože P. Damijan Jože P. Damijan (full name: Jože Pavlič Damijan) (born 14 January 1967 in Lomanoše, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia) is a Slovenian economist and politician. Damijan is a tenured professor at the Ljubljana School of Economics and Business (a c ...
, former Minister of Foreign Affairs
Dimitrij Rupel Dimitrij Rupel (born 7 April 1946) is a Slovenian politician. Early life and education Rupel was born in Ljubljana, in what was then the PR Slovenia, into a bourgeois family of former anti-fascist political emigrants from the Julian March (hi ...
, former Minister of Internal Affairs
Dragutin Mate Dragutin Mate (born 2 May 1963) is a former Slovenian diplomat and politician of Croat origins. He was a member of the Slovenian Democratic Party (2008–2016). Between 2004 and 2008 he served as Minister of Interior in the centre-right gove ...
, and Minister of Education
Žiga Turk Žiga is a Slovene given name, a form of Sigmund. Notable people include: *Žiga Jeglič (born 1988), Slovenian ice hockey player *Žiga Kariž (born 1973), Slovenian painter *Žiga Pavlin (born 1985), Slovenian ice hockey player *Žiga Hirschler (1 ...
, former MEP
Romana Jordan Cizelj Romana Jordan (born 8 January 1966) is a Slovenian politician and physicist, currently serving as Member of the European Parliament (MEP). She is a member of the Slovenian Democratic Party, which is part of the European People's Party, and sits ...
, former SDS MPs
Andrej Čuš Andrej Čuš (born 27 July 1990) is a Slovenian politician serving as leader of the Greens of Slovenia since 2018. From 2013 to 2018, he was a member of the National Assembly. He was a member of the Slovenian Democratic Party The Slovenian ...
, and
Ivo Hvalica Ivo is a masculine given name, in use in various European languages. The name used in western European languages originates as a Normannic name recorded since the High Middle Ages, and the French name Yves is a variant of it. The unrelated So ...
, and "mother of the party" Vera Ban. Miha Brejc became ''persona non grata'' after his son-in-law
Gregor Virant Gregor Virant (born 4 December 1969) is a Slovenian politician and public servant. Between 2004 and 2008, he served as Minister of Public Administration in Janez Janša's first government, between 2011–2013 he was Speaker of the National Assem ...
distanced himself from Janša and established the Civic List.


Affiliated organisations

The party is affiliated with the
Jože Pučnik Institute Jože is a male given name related to Joseph. Notable people with this name include: * Jože Babič (1917–1996), Slovenian film, theatre and television director * Jože Benko (born 1980), Slovenian football striker * Jože Berc (born 1944), Sl ...
, the major
liberal-conservative Liberal conservatism is a political ideology combining conservative policies with liberal stances, especially on economic issues but also on social and ethical matters, representing a brand of political conservatism strongly influenced by libe ...
think tank in Slovenia. It is also closely affiliated with the civic platform
Rally for the Republic The Rally for the Republic ( ; RPR ) was a Gaullist and conservative political party in France. Originating from the Union of Democrats for the Republic (UDR), it was founded by Jacques Chirac in 1976 and presented itself as the heir of Gaul ...
(). Committee 2014 (Slovene: ''Odbor 2014'') is a civic organisation that was established to protest and demand the overturn of the corruption convictions in the Patria case, the freeing of SDS leader Janez Janša from prison (sentence resulting from the conviction), and the "actual implementation of the rule of law, human rights, basic freedoms, and establishment of a democratic society". Committee 2014 held regular protests in front of the Higher Court building in Ljubljana. The Alliance for the Values of Slovene Independence (Slovene: ''Združenje za vrednote Slovenske osamosvojitve'', VSO) is a patriotic veteran non-governmental organisation intended to commemorate the values of the Slovenian independence movement. VSO leadership consists of prominent SDS members and associates. The organisation holds public speaking events, commemorations, and is engaged in other activities as well.


Affiliated publications

SDS is also affiliated with several current and past publications, including its de facto party publication, Demokracija, and tabloid Škandal24 (both owned by ''Nova Obzorja'' (English: "New Horizons") publishing company, which is in turn jointly owned by SDS and a Hungarian publishing company with close ties to Hungary's ruling party,
Fidesz Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Alliance (; ) is a national-conservative political party in Hungary led by Viktor Orbán. It has increasingly identified as illiberal. Originally formed in 1988 under the name of Alliance of Young Democrats () as ...
). The publishing company has profited from providing literature to, and advising the SDS parliamentary group/SDS MPs (activities for which parliamentary groups receive state funds), and has also benefited financially from doing business with government agencies, which were particularly bountiful while SDS was in government.
Nova24TV Nova24TV is a Slovenian right-wing news media conglomerate operating an eponymous news television channel and online news portal. Nova24TV was founded by members and supporters of the Slovenian Democratic Party. The news media organisation's sta ...
, a media conglomerate consisting of a television channel and online news portal, was established by SDS MPs and members, and party sympathisers, and later also received financial injections from Hungarian Fidesz-affiliated companies. Additionally, the SDS-friendly political web portal Politikis is also owned and managed by a close SDS associate. Slovenski tednik and Ekspres, free newspapers distributed in the run-up to the 2008 parliamentary election, were also later found to have been directly linked to SDS and its electoral efforts. As with Slovenski tednik and Ekspres, Škandal24 announced it will cease print publication the day after the 2018 parliamentary election, only continuing as an online publication. In late 2017, an array of over a dozen local/regional web news portals with a common template was also set up, with editors of all linked to SDS based on publicly available information. The websites mostly contained informative content, publishing local news with occasional articles that promoted SDS' candidates and narrative/agenda subtly mixed in. The sites may have been set up primarily as a political propaganda effort in anticipation of the 2018 Slovenian local elections.


International affiliations

The SDS is a member of the
International Democracy Union The International Democracy Union (IDU; known as the International Democrat Union until September 2023) is an international alliance of centre-right to right-wing political parties. Headquartered in Munich, Germany, the IDU consists of 84 fu ...
. SDS politicians have participated in the
International Visitor Leadership Program The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is a professional exchange program funded by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The mission of IVLP is to offer current and emerging international leader ...
, and with the
International Republican Institute The International Republican Institute (IRI) is an American nonprofit organization founded in 1983 and funded and supported by the United States federal government. Most of its board is drawn from the Republican Party. Its public mission is to a ...
. The party is supported by and closely affiliated with Hungarian Prime Minister
Viktor Orbán Viktor Mihály Orbán (; born 31 May 1963) is a Hungarian lawyer and politician who has been the 56th prime minister of Hungary since 2010, previously holding the office from 1998 to 2002. He has also led the Fidesz political party since 200 ...
(
Fidesz Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Alliance (; ) is a national-conservative political party in Hungary led by Viktor Orbán. It has increasingly identified as illiberal. Originally formed in 1988 under the name of Alliance of Young Democrats () as ...
). SDS's committed backing of Fidesz has reportedly been the decisive factor in preventing Fidesz's expulsion from the
European People's Party The European People's Party (EPP) is a European political party with Christian democracy, Christian democratic, liberal conservatism, liberal-conservative, and conservative member parties. A transnational organisation, it is composed of other p ...
, resulting in a more lenient suspension. In a letter to the EPP leader, Janša warned of an "inevitable" split in the EPP if the vote to expel Fidesz were to take place. The 3rd Janša government began reorienting Slovenia's foreign alliances away from core EU countries and towards the Visegrád Group of countries, with Janša calling the countries "our friends in the region". In 2024, when the Hungarian Prime Minister
Viktor Orbán Viktor Mihály Orbán (; born 31 May 1963) is a Hungarian lawyer and politician who has been the 56th prime minister of Hungary since 2010, previously holding the office from 1998 to 2002. He has also led the Fidesz political party since 200 ...
(
Fidesz Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Alliance (; ) is a national-conservative political party in Hungary led by Viktor Orbán. It has increasingly identified as illiberal. Originally formed in 1988 under the name of Alliance of Young Democrats () as ...
) formed the
Patriots for Europe Patriots for Europe (PfE or Patriots) is a right-wing to far-right sovereigntist political group, formed as the third-largest group ahead of the tenth European Parliament. The group includes all but one member from the Identity and Democracy g ...
, a new EU political group. The SDS, which has four MEPs, ultimately remained part of the
EPP Group The European People's Party Group (EPP Group or simply EPP) is a political group of the European Parliament consisting of deputies (MEPs) from the member parties of the European People's Party (EPP). Sometimes it also includes independent MEP ...
, while noting that not all SDS MEPs agreed with this decision.


Public profile


Controversies and criticism

In March 2021, the association of state prosecutors of Slovenia addressed a letter to the Council of Europe to voice their concerns about government pressure on prosecutors (including by PM Janša, and SDS-affiliated media). The third Janša government refused to confirm the appointment of delegated prosecutors to the EU public prosecutors office that is to scrutinise potential misuse of EU funds (both nominees had previously made prosecutorial decisions that were politically disfavourable to SDS, with one having helped bring graft charges against Janša), as well as refusing to confirm 14 prosecutors nominated by the judiciary leading to understaffing of the state prosecutorship. PM Janša also pressured the chief state prosecutor to pursue criminal charges against anti-government protesters who used a slogan that Janša interpreted as a death threat to him and his supporters, admonishing him in a missive that " ewill be directly responsible for any potential victim of the organised death threats." In June 2021, the top officials of four independent state oversight institutions issued a joint statement warning of persistent political pressure, impeding their work. In 2021, articles published in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', and in ''
Der Standard ''Der Standard'' () is an Austrian daily newspaper published in Vienna. It is considered a newspaper of record for Austria. History and profile ''Der Standard'' was founded by Oscar Bronner as a financial newspaper and published its first editio ...
'' described SDS as waging a
culture war A culture war is a form of cultural conflict (metaphorical " war") between different social groups who struggle to politically impose their own ideology (moral beliefs, humane virtues, and religious practices) upon mainstream society, or upon ...
by trying to shift the country's museums in a more conservative and patriotic direction by appointing like-minded people in leadership positions within the institutions.


Freedom of the press

SDS holds that Slovenian news media is biased and favours the left. Shortly after assuming the role of PM for the third time, SDS leader Janez Janša published an essay entitled "War with the media" in which he expounded his views on countering an oppositional news media, concluding that the battle against the "monopoly of lies" cannot be won without a fight. SDS and their allies have cultivated an ecosystem of party-aligned media outlets that include a TV channel, news websites (including a number of regional news websites), magazines, a tabloid, and a press agency. There was also an effort to set up a radio station. Some of the party's media endavours were strategically undertaken just prior to upcoming elections; regional news websites began operating prior to local elections, for example. SDS-affiliated outlets have been accused of false reporting and fake news, of publishing hateful and defamatory content, and of publishing racist, xenophobic, homophobic, and antisemitic content. Some SDS-affiliated media projects have received financial backing from businesses affiliated with the party's political ally, Hungarian PM
Viktor Orbán Viktor Mihály Orbán (; born 31 May 1963) is a Hungarian lawyer and politician who has been the 56th prime minister of Hungary since 2010, previously holding the office from 1998 to 2002. He has also led the Fidesz political party since 200 ...
. Janša has also adopted a pugnacious approach to media relations, aggressively responding to almost every critical foreign press article on the political situation in Slovenia under his leadership. SDS has been criticised for their adversarial approach to media relations, which not only chilled media freedom in the country, but also created a climate where personal attacks, harassment, and threats are commonplace for journalists that have landed in the party's crosshairs. In a letter to top EU officials, various media freedom organisations also warned that PM Janša could use his European presidency position to "attack journalists" across the EU and normalise such behaviour among EU functionaries. First Janša cabinet: During Janša's first government, the party was accused of gaining influence over multiple public and private outlets, and pulling advertising from state-owned companies from outlets that reported critically about the government. To bring the country's largest newspaper under its control, Janša personally arranged a corrupt deal with the owner of the newspaper in which state assets were traded in exchange for editorial control over the newspaper. Third Janša cabinet: Shortly after Janša's third government took office, a loyalist (who had been previously appointed editor-in-chief of the country's largest newspaper during Janša's first government, reportedly in a secret corrupt deal between Janša and the newspaper's owner) was appointed to head SiOL, a media subsidiary of a state-owned telecom, despite receiving the approval of only 2 members of the 42-member editorial board. In fall of 2020, the state telecom commenced the sale of TSMedia which owns SiOL. In May 2021, the board of directors of the telecom abruptly halted the sale after a Hungarian business with ties to Hungary's ruling party Fidesz (which is closely allied with SDS) was outbid 2 million € to 5 million € by another bidder. In May 2020, the government replaced 7 board members of the public broadcaster
RTV Slovenia Radiotelevizija Slovenija () – usually abbreviated to RTV Slovenija, RTV SLO (or simply RTV within Slovenia) – is Slovenia's national public broadcasting organization. Based in Ljubljana, it has regional broadcasting centres in Koper and Ma ...
, shifting the political balance of power of the board in favour of the government and foreshadowing a push to replace the leadership of the institution. In October 2020, board members close to SDS and the government began an attempt to replace the then general director of the institution before the end of his term, citing poor financial management and attacks on government representatives. Commenting on the replacement push, the director said the attempt was motivated by a desire to purge RTV of journalists critical of the government. The vote to replace the director was held in November, and failed by 1 vote. With the end of the regular term of the previous director approaching, a new general director was elected in January 2021, to take office in April. While SDS failed to field a loyal candidate, votes of board members close to the government were decisive in picking the new head. Shortly after a new RTV director was chosen, PM Janša commented on a clip of RTV footage with "hopefully the new broom will fix such false reporting", leading to fears that the new director will be beholden to the government after its board members supported his nomination. During the summer of 2020, the government proposed new media laws that would increase the government's influence over the state-owned press agency Slovenian Press Agency (STA), and redirect some funds from the public broadcaster to an SDS-affiliated TV channel. The proposed legislation failed to gain traction after facing objections from all coalition partners. After STA refused to provide a government agency with business information and explanations about editorial decisions (STA argued the government agency lacked legal authority to demand such information), the government, in an unprecedented move, halted financing the news agency, saying STA had failed to meet its contractual obligations. The loss of state financing - some half of its total revenue - imperiled STA's continued existence. All coalition partners called for the resumption of STA financing. In early 2021, the government proposed draft legislation that would move STA into a centrally managed pension wealth fund, granting the government greater sway over the news agency. In March 2021, PM Janša called on the STA director to resign before the end of his term, calling him a "tool of the far left" who should be "held responsible for his unlawful actions". Janša also said that STA has been "selling lies as truth" under his leadership. The government also called on the STA board of directors to dismiss the director, and drafted a report accusing the director of dereliction of duty and wrongdoing in his official role. The government then requested the Interior Ministry to look into whether the findings of the report warrant a criminal investigation of the director. Police investigators subsequently questioned a STA board member and representatives of STA and the Dnevnik newspaper (due to an advertisement contract with STA), with the latter stating that the investigators asked for information that constituted business secrets, which Dnevnik refused to furnish. In May 2021, after a criminal complaint was lodged by the government, police launched an investigation of
Mladina ''Mladina'' (English: Youth) is a Slovenian weekly political and current affairs magazine. Since the 1920s, when it was first published, it has become a voice of protest against those in power. Today, ''Mladinas weekly issues are distributed ...
for allegedly publishing classified information. The weekly published the contents of an internal government document (which was released to the public within a fortnight). The magazine responded by claiming the publication of the document was in the public interest (and thus legal) and that the government illegitimately restricted access to the document, and said the probe was intimidation. PM Janša furtively met with the owner of POP TV's parent company (the Czechia-based
PPF group PPF Group is an international diversified investment group founded in 1991 in the Czech Republic. PPF Group invests in a variety of sectors, including banking and financial services, telecommunications, media, biotechnology, real estate and indus ...
) in late 2020. According to people present at the meeting with knowledge of the discussion, Janša spent most of the meeting complained about POP TV's political coverage. A deal was reportedly struck with the owners of
POP TV Pop TV is a Slovenian generalist television channel operated by Pro Plus d.o.o., a subsidiary of Central European Media Enterprises (CME), which is in turn owned by Czech investment company PPF. History It was established by ProPlus, CME's Sl ...
(the most influential national TV broadcaster which also operates the most frequently visited web news portal in the country), granting lucrative government infrastructure contracts and stakes in state-owned enterprises in exchange for favourable coverage. After the meeting, the parent company begun to closely monitor POP TV's political reporting to ensure coverage is sufficiently favourable to the SDS-led government, requiring news editors to translate transcripts into Czech and send them to headquarters in Prague. Employees of the media company confirmed mounting editorial pressure in anonymous interviews. SDS was reportedly also engineering a sale of the country's largest newspaper
Delo ''Delo'' () is a business oriented online media in Ukraine, belonging to ekonomika+ media holding. ''Delo'' was the first daily in Ukraine, publishing its real print circulation (13.000 - 15.000) and trying to introduce Western editorial and b ...
to PPF from its domestic owner to also reign in its critical coverage, using lucrative state contracts and benefits as enticements/punishments. In May 2021, the Ministry of Culture, which is responsible for distributing a fixed amount of financial aid to media organisations, denied funding requests from multiple mainstream media organisations that had consistently received funding in the past (due to ostensibly unbalanced coverage) while newly apportioning the funds to multiple conservative and pro-government media organisations (multiple of which had ties to government parties); nearly all requests from conservative and pro-government media were granted. The criteria for distributing the funds had not changed. The committee responsible for distributing the funds was mostly composed of individuals with ties to SDS. The minister of culture described the shift in funding as a step towards a more balanced media environment. SDS's aggressiveness towards national and international news media and journalists has caused concern and drawn reprimands from EU politicians and institutions as Janša is poised to take over the leadership of the rotating EU Council presidency during the second half of 2021. In March 2021, the US State Department said it was monitoring the state of the news media in Slovenia. A deterioration in press freedoms in the country under the new government was subsequently noted in the State Department's international Human Rights report for 2020 published later the same month; media freedom was described as one of the key human rights concerns in Slovenia. The issue of media freedom in Slovenia came under discussion of the
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...
and its Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group (DRFMG). The first discussion was held on March 5 under the auspices of DRFMG; PM Janša and Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti were invited to participate but declined. The issue was also discussed by the EP during a plenary session some days later. DRFMG again discussed the issue on March 26, with the invitation to join again extended to the Slovene PM and Culture Minister. Janša initially joined discussion, but demanded a video be shown to the committee. Janša then abruptly left the videoconference after a heated exchange with the committee chair that denied his request. Janša later wrote on Twitter that he was censored by the committee. A Council of Europe
Commissioner for Human Rights The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights is an independent and impartial non-judicial institution established in 1999 by the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, to promote awareness of and respect for human rights in the council's 46 ...
report published in June 2021 found a deterioration of press freedom in Slovenia and called on the Slovene government to remedy the situation. PM Janša, responding to the report by tweet, called the Commissioner a " ..part of #fakenews network. Well paid by our money."


Astroturfing and satellite parties

SDS reportedly operates a network of fake social media accounts used to amplify its message and attack opponents. In February 2021, an SDS MP was revealed to operate a fake Twitter account. SDS has been reported to operate a "multimedia centre" from within its party headquarters from where party operatives engage in social media battles with political opponents and promote the party online. The party's online activities intensify prior to elections. A disgruntled former SDS MP publicly corroborated the existence of the "multimedia centre" after leaving the party, claiming he personally used to participate in the party's media operations. There have also been claims that all SDS political candidates are required to set up a Twitter account. In 2019, a former SDS politician published a screenshot of private messages from Janša after a public falling-out between the two. In the messages, Janša asked her to organise astroturfed protests in front of the parliament during a parliamentary deliberation about a referendum on immigration, saying "protests are effective if the action comes from below and looks like a spontaneous uprising". SDS has been accused of orchestrating the creation of at least five satellite parties in attempts to sure up a larger swath of the electorate and secure loyal coalition partners, and undermine competing parties.


Ties to far-right groups

SDS has been criticised for alleged links to a neo-Nazi extremist group; the Slovene branch of Blood & Honour. The journalist who uncovered the links (Anuška Delić) was charged with leaking confidential information. The state intelligence agency, SOVA, headed by an SDS appointee at the time of the indictment, inadvertently confirmed allegations made by Delić by stating that the information revealed in the reports was consistent with findings of an ongoing investigation into the activities of the violent extremist group. SOVA argued that the information revealed in the reports could not have been obtained by any other means than by gaining access to information collected during the agency's covert investigations, and that the publication disrupted its efforts to monitor the group by alerting B & H of the monitoring efforts. Delić alleged the charges were "politically motivated". Some Blood & Honour members were allegedly also members of SDS, and formally met with SDS MP Branko Grims. The group (the members of which allegedly received training by members of the Slovenian armed forces on an army training area, borrowed army weaponry (a rocket launcher), attempted to purchase handguns, and were in direct correspondence with
Anders Breivik Anders is a male name in Scandinavian languages and Fering North Frisian, an equivalent of the Greek Andreas ("manly") and the English Andrew. It originated from Andres via metathesis. In Sweden, Anders has been one of the most common names fo ...
by both mail and e-mail, with multiple B & H members receiving his manifesto before Breivik's killing spree) was allegedly intimately implicated in orchestrating the violent riots which took place amid the
2012–13 Slovenian protests 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
. The organised group of violent agitators that disrupted a major protest in Ljubljana was found to have been trained, hired, and compensated, possibly by a political party, according to a police investigation. More recently, SDS has also fostered ties with Generation Identity Slovenia, the Slovenian chapter of the far-right
Identitarian movement The Identitarian movement or Identitarianism is a Pan-European nationalism, pan-European nationalist, Ethnic nationalism, ethno-nationalist, Far-right politics, far-right ideological movement centred on the preservation of White people, white ...
organisations. In August 2018, the party's publishing company, New Horizons, anonymously published the Slovene Identitarians' alt-right book, ''Manifesto for the Homeland''. The book was also promoted by SDS-affiliated media organisations and individuals, including SDS leader Janez Janša, with SDS MP Žan Mahnič even going so far as to post on Twitter a photo of the book taken from his parliamentary seat, with the floor of the parliamentary chamber in the background. SDS also organised a joint panel discussion on migrations with Generation Identity, and Generation Identity was advertised on an SDS-affiliated TV channel. The leader of the Austrian Identitarians, Martin Sellner, publicly thanked Janša for his support on Twitter. Sellner was at the time being investigated by Austrian authorities and ostracised by the ruling conservative
Freedom Party of Austria The Freedom Party of Austria (, FPÖ) is a political party in Austria, variously described as far-right, right-wing populist, national-conservative, and Eurosceptic. It has been led by Herbert Kickl since 2021. It is the largest of five part ...
for his financial ties with the Christchurch terrorist. During the 2020 Slovenian anti-government protests against the Third Janša government, a pro-government counter-protester group (the "Yellow Wests") was favourably covered in SDS-affiliated media, with the articles in which the Yellow Wests called on the public to join them shared by PM Janša on Twitter. 8 of the 30-some original Yellow Wests (including their spokesman) were found to have links to neo-Nazism. In 2021, the group forcefully disrupted an anti-government rally in the vicinity of a state ceremony attended by multiple foreign prime ministers. Riot police removed the provocators to avoid a massive brawl.


Political self-dealing accusations

The party has been accused of political self-dealing and nepotism, appointing relatives, allies, and friends to government (and other) positions. Many close relatives of prominent SDS members have found employment in the Slovenian and European parliaments, high ranking public sector positions, and state-owned companies (some despite not meeting the official job requirements). SDS has been accused of political firings and replacements in, and selective financing of many institutions under the public sphere, and creating an environment where politisation of the public workplace was permissible and pervasive while in power.


Cult of personality

SDS leader Janez Janša has continuously served as party head since May 1993 without a single other contender for the post. Party members are extremely loyal to Janša; it has been noted that the party appears to resemble a cult, with numerous past members claiming that Janša leads the party in an authoritarian manner and that no dissent is tolerated. SDS MEP
Romana Jordan Cizelj Romana Jordan (born 8 January 1966) is a Slovenian politician and physicist, currently serving as Member of the European Parliament (MEP). She is a member of the Slovenian Democratic Party, which is part of the European People's Party, and sits ...
was reportedly the only one within the party leadership to openly voice her doubts about Janša's continued leadership of the party whilst serving a prison sentence for corruption. Jordan Cizelj was subsequently not allowed to run for re-election as MEP on the SDS ticket as punishment for her disloyalty to Janša.


Campaign financing impropriety allegations

In the run-up to the 2018 Slovenian parliamentary election, SDS attempted to receive a loan of €450,000 from an individual residing in
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
to fund its electoral campaign. The party came into contact with the individual via Nova obzorja publishing company (partially owned by SDS). SDS also put up its share in Nova obzorja as collateral. The sum borrowed exceeded limits set by campaign finance laws, however, and SDS was obliged to return the borrowed funds. A police and financial court investigation was also triggered after the terms of the loan became public. An investigation into the lender was also launched, based on suspicions of money laundering, tax avoidance, destruction and falsification of business documents, and overseeing dummy companies. The individual was allegedly a part of a criminal organisation managing dummy companies that received funds of undisclosed origins (including the funds later loaned to SDS). Less than a week before the 2018 parliamentary election took place, it was revealed that media/publishing companies closely affiliated and partially owned by SDS received some €800,000 from two Hungarian nationals (or, rather, their companies) - both with close ties to Hungarian Prime Minister
Viktor Orbán Viktor Mihály Orbán (; born 31 May 1963) is a Hungarian lawyer and politician who has been the 56th prime minister of Hungary since 2010, previously holding the office from 1998 to 2002. He has also led the Fidesz political party since 200 ...
- months before the election, bringing the total amount SDS-affiliated media companies received from Hungarian entities to over €2.2M. The SDS-affiliated media companies that received the funds in turn purchased campaign adds for SDS. Nova obzorja publishing company also attempted to loan €60,000 to the party. The same Hungarian individuals also provided funds for political allies in Macedonia. It is furthermore also known that the loan SDS attempted to obtain from a Bosnian citizen some months earlier had a Hungarian connection. SDS-controlled media companies have reportedly also served as a conduit for Hungarian financing of media in North Macedonia to prop up Orban's political allies there. Of the at least €4M in Hungarian moneys that were reportedly originally funneled into SDS-affiliated media between mid-2018 and early 2020, over €2.5M was then channeled to Macedonian news media entities favourable to the right-wing
VMRO-DPMNE The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization – Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity (), abbreviated as VMRO-DPMNE (), is a conservative and the main centre-right to right-wing political party in North Macedonia. It was establ ...
party.


Discriminatory remarks

After the 2011 parliamentary elections, which saw the victory of Ljubljana mayor Zoran Janković (who is of Serbian descent) and his party, a contribution published on the official SDS webpage by a "Tomaž Majer" caused considerable public outrage. Majer states that Janković was elected by "well-disciplined new citizens" living in "high-rise neighbourhoods", tracksuit-clad voters with foreign accents arriving at polling places in groups holding notes with instructions on whom to vote for. These "new citizens" were allegedly mobilised by being admonished their citizenship will be revoked if "the right" is elected. Majer further states that one of his acquaintances (who is of Bosnian descent) was even offered monetary reward to vote for Janković. Majer also claims that the roughly 1/3 of Janković voters of Slovenian descent were ordered to vote for PS by Milan Kučan and Janez Stanovnik. Several media organisations attempted to identify the author, but were unsuccessful. It has been speculated that the real author of the text was in fact Janez Janša, based on similar known past statements (specifically, his 1993 commentary on the poor electoral performance of SDS during the 1992 elections). In the wake of the 2011 election, Janša and several other SDS MPs and candidates expressed similar but somewhat toned-down nationalistic sentiments while commenting on the election and its winner. The public reaction culminated in a "March of the Tracksuits", a rally where participants attended clothed in tracksuits to protest against division and intolerance. SDS MP Branko Grims, speaking to a gathering of a ultranationalist group in early 2018, said "Now is the era of Trump. He is the greatest thorn in the foot of the globalists, who control the US mechanisms, with Soros at the helm. Soros is the symbol of this. But there's also the Rothschilds and many other wealthiest families of financial speculators." SDS MP Marijan Pojbič, in a 2017 Statehood Day address on Facebook, called for "No more mayors that aren't real Slovenes, and even fewer national politicians who aren't real Slovenes by birth." In 2020, SDS politician Žan Mahnič, a former MP then serving as national security state secretary, shared a tweet of an image of white-skinned women with different hair colours accompanied with the comment "This is all the diversity Europe needs." The original author of the tweet was a user using the screen name "franca - EtnoNacionalist". Mahnič was subsequently criticised for promoting racism. In 2021, PM Janša shared a tweet saying that the amount "death, suffering, repression, desolation and societal backwardness" caused by
The Communist Manifesto ''The Communist Manifesto'' (), originally the ''Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (), is a political pamphlet written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, commissioned by the Communist League and originally published in London in 1848. The ...
is second only to the
Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...
. The tweet was condemned by the Slovenian Muslim community, and the Turkish national broadcaster. Janša defended sharing the tweet by noting that his Twitter profile bio says re-tweets are not endorsements.


Election results

ImageSize = width:500 height:200 PlotArea = width:400 height:170 left:50 bottom:20 AlignBars = justify DateFormat = yyyy Period = from:0 till:32 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:0 PlotData = bar:Seats color:claret width:30 mark:(line,white) align:left fontsize:S bar:1990 color:yellow from:start till:6 text:6 bar:1992 color:yellow from:start till:4 text:4 bar:1996 color:yellow from:start till:16 text:16 bar:2000 color:yellow from:start till:14 text:14 bar:2004 color:yellow from:start till:29 text:29 bar:2008 color:yellow from:start till:28 text:28 bar:2011 color:yellow from:start till:26 text:26 bar:2014 color:yellow from:start till:21 text:21 bar:2018 color:yellow from:start till:25 text:25 bar:2022 color:yellow from:start till:27 text:27


National Assembly


European Parliament


Presidential


References


General sources

*


External links


Official website
{{European People's Party 1989 establishments in Slovenia Conservative parties in Slovenia Former member parties of the Socialist International International Democracy Union member parties Liberal conservative parties Member parties of the European People's Party National conservative parties Nationalist parties in Slovenia Organizations based in Ljubljana Political parties established in 1989 Right-wing populist parties Right-wing populism in Slovenia Social conservative parties Right-wing parties in Europe